So on Wednesday, I had agreed to attend a BBQ organised by the company that runs the Thanet windfarm. It is a bid to reduce the ‘us and them’ feelings that developed between the employees of the two companies. I think that after last year’s events, it seems to have worked; like everywhere there is banter, but it does not seem to have the nasty edge I saw last year. So, when the invite dropped into my e mail inbox, I was in the middle of my time travelling backwards and forwards to Denmark, and any excuse not to travel seemed like a good idea, so I said I’d go.
As it turned out, the last thing I felt like doing was spending an extra couple of hours at work until it was time for the wheels to take us to Grove Ferry. But anyway, on Tuesday morning rather than let them down, I got Jools to drop me off at the station so I could catch the train to Ramsgate. I took a window seat so I could look down over Dover as the train would its way up through River and then Buckland before entering the southern portal of Guston Tunnel.
I got off the train at Ramsgate, and then facing me was an half hour walk to the office at the harbour. The day went well, but it wasn’t until it was time to leave for the BBQ that I realised I did not have my phone. I had my phone when I left the house, I had it on the train. And then, nothing. I can’t get a signal in the office, so whether I lost it on the train, or on the walk to the office or in the office, I don’t know. I have reported it to Southeastern, but I doubt if it’ll be handed in. It just goes to the answer machine now, so the battery is either flat or the sim card has been taken out.
Sigh, Anyway, there was a free bar at the Grover Ferry Inn, and it was a glorious evening beside the Stour. Sipping Italian beer from the bottle. The Jools appeared some two hours early, the car windscreen had gone as she headed over and we had to get back to arrange a replacement as I had a long drive on Thursday to conduct an audit.
Looking at the screen, a large stone chip had caused a crack, which despite growing to six inches long, it seemed to have stopped. We drove back home via the chippy for cod and chips, and then home to find the insurance documents and then arrange a man to come round and change it. It was decided that it would be changed on Friday, as long as it all went well on Thursday. Would be an interesting trip.
Thursday.
After breakfast and dropping Jools off at work, I headed to Folkestone and then up the M20 towards the Dartford Crossing. I was off to Essex to do a supplier audit, my first ever external audit, and the chance to test my knowledge and skills. So that meant driving through the tunnel, and coping with the traffic at rush hour. I do like a challenge, but in truth there was no way to avoid it.
So I had the radio on for traffic updates, and it warned of jams, but in the end I was delayed just ten minutes and got through and into Essex. The sun shone, and the countryside looked glorious. And once on the A12, and I had cleared the silly boy racers, it was a pleasant drive north of Colchester and then out to Tendring.
Yes, Tendring. On the Tendring peninsular. Sounds grand, but is a tiny vollage with just three streets, and the company I was going to audit had space in a large barn conversion shared with other companies. Now, it is nowhere near the sea, so why this location was chosen for a shipping company to have headquaerters is lost on me. However, I was expected and brought a coffee.
Despite feeling like a little boy in the world of grown-ups at times, my training kicked in, and I got into the swing of it, and the audit went well. I found problems. Lots of problems, but they seemed keen enough to learn, so they will await my report in due course.
Time then to head to a couple of churches before the rush back to Dartford to beat the rush hour and not be stuck in traffic. At the bridge, it was a little jammed, but after 10 minutes I was through and back into Kent. A dash down along the M20, in time to pick Jools from work and then along the coast road and home.
Phew.
We ate like kings in the evening: cheese and beans on toast and a pint of tea, followed by the biggest bowl of strawberries, blueberries and fresh raspberries from our garden all drowned in fresh cream.
Lovely.
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